discard

verb

dis·card | \dis-ˈkärd,

ˈdis-ˌ\

Definition of discard

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted a pile of discarded tires They quickly discarded the idea.

2a : to remove (a playing card) from one's hand (see hand entry 1 sense 9a(2)) discarded an ace

b : to play (any card except a trump) from a suit different from the one led

intransitive verb

: to discard a playing card discard at the end of your turn

discard

noun

dis·card | \ˈdis-ˌkärd

Definition of discard (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the act of removing a playing card from one's hand : the act of discarding (see discard entry 1 sense 2a)

b : a card discarded collected the discards

2 : one that is cast off or rejected

Other Words from discard Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about discard

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Choose the Right Synonym for discard

Verb

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of. discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless. discard old clothes cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation. cast off her friends shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster. shed a bad habit finally sloughed off the depression scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form. scrap all the old ways would junk our educational system

Examples of discard in a Sentence

Verb

Remove and discard the stems. a pile of discarded tires She discarded the six of hearts.

Noun

toss all of your discards in the garbage

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In the Gulf of Carpentaria, which spans Queensland and the Northern Territory in Australia, discarded or lost fishing nets wash ashore in some of the highest densities globally—up to three tons per kilometer yearly. — National Geographic, "These Communities Turn Discarded Fishing Nets Into Carpets," 13 June 2018 Carefully remove and discard the top piece of wax paper or parchment from the chilled round of dough. — Ellie Krieger, charlotteobserver, "Mixed-berry galette makes dessert easy as pie," 29 May 2018 For best texture, remove these with a paring knife and discard. — Louisa Chu, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago veteran chef John Coletta bringing his deep look at Italian rice to Lit Fest," 23 May 2018 Remove from heat and discard mushrooms, kombu and onions. — Eleanore Park, WSJ, "Comfort Food That Brings the Whole Table Together," 9 May 2018 These aren’t signs that liberal democracy is a failure, only that too many people are discarding norms that are still essential to a good society. — Cathy Young, BostonGlobe.com, "Is liberal democracy failing? No, it’s a victim of its own success," 8 July 2018 For all of us who have discarded a phone or computer for a newer, sleeker model, the reasons are hardly a mystery. — New York Times, "E-Waste Offers an Economic Opportunity as Well as Toxicity," 5 July 2018 Kellogg says consumers should discard the affected product and contact them for a full refund: 1-800-962-1413 or by visiting this website. — Peter Martinez, CBS News, "Kellogg's voluntarily recalls Honey Smacks cereal over possible salmonella contamination," 15 June 2018 The activist group SumOfUs estimates that every day, McDonald’s alone dispenses millions of plastic straws that customers soon discard, leaving them to litter beaches or clog waterways and fill trash dumps. — Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY, "McDonald's to test plastic-straw alternatives in U.S. later this year," 15 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Victories have been rare for the Boars, who are usually defeated in regional tournaments, where their squad of onetime discards take on teams for whom soccer is part of the school curriculum. — Matt Blomberg, latimes.com, "There's a reason that the soccer team rescued from a cave in Thailand was so tough and resilient," 11 July 2018 Salsa and tamales past discard date found in walk-in refrigerator. — Robert Gundran, azcentral, "Restaurant with no sneeze guard on salsa bar among this week's violations," 11 July 2018 Amazingly, the latter two were late pickups off the discard pile, Murphy last year, Macoun this year. — Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Red Wings flashback: Mitch Albom on 1998 Stanley Cup victory," 16 June 2018 Matt Albers: White Sox discard making a name for himself with Brewers, stranding 94.1 percent of runners with 0.88 WHIP. — Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Astros GM Jeff Luhnow never hides from his own tweets," 1 June 2018 Cooked pork with discard date of April 28 in the refrigerator. — Ryan Santistevan, azcentral, "Mesa eatery left 3-day-old food on deli slicer, among other violations," 16 May 2018 Lines of vehicles waited for their chance to offload piles of brush, old furniture, and other discards. — Janice Steinhagen, Courant Community, "Crews Clean Up Streets, Parks For Earth Day," 2 May 2018 Emily Sudd, for example, conducts acts of domestic archaeology by filling vessels with ceramic discards, firing them, then slicing them in half to reveal their innards in cross-section. — Leah Ollman, latimes.com, "Ceramic art, once written off as mere craft, wins a brighter spotlight in the L.A. scene," 25 Apr. 2018 After accounting for unavoidable rates of discard among all livers harvested for transplant, the researchers calculated that the warm-body approach resulted in 20% more transplanted organs. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "Liver transplants are better all around when you hold the ice," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.